Have You Seen the Fake West Texas Oil Rig Lightning Tornado Photo?

The Internet is full of hoaxes and fake stories, but few as electrifying as one from right here in West Texas.

According to Snopes, the image, which features an oil rig in the path of a destructive, lightning-spewing tornado, has a complicated history with origins far from the bogus Ft. Stockton, Texas roots.

The hoax-busting site explains that the image is actually a composite of two separate photos. One is the drilling rig, and the other an amazing display by Mother Nature. That's right: the lightning/tornado part of the photo is legit.

That part of the photo was said to have been taken in Sedalia, Missouri during a series of deadly storms that hit the area back in March 2006. However, it actually dates back to June 1991 and was taken in Melbourne, Florida over Lake Okeechobee.